The newly launched Customs Canine Unit made its first drug seizure yesterday, during routine checks made on a flight arriving from Madrid.

At 9.45pm, while screening passengers and luggage arriving from Madrid, Stan, a Customs Sniffer Dog, gave a passive indication on a passenger and his belongings.

Subsequently, the Portuguese national, was asked by the Customs Enforcement Officials to have his luggage scanned. The luggage scan further raised suspicions of concealed narcotics. This was confirmed after the luggage was physically checked and four packets of suspected marijuana were elevated. The packets weighed approximately 5kg and gave a positive indication for Cannabis following a narcotics test.

The narcotics were later handed over to the Scene of the Crime Officers, from the Police Forensics, and the passenger was handed over to the Drug Squad Unit for further investigations.

Following an intensive 16 weeks training, the Customs Canine Unit has only started its actual operational task during the past week, and already the Department is reaping the benefits of this investement, which has been 80% co-financed by the European Commission under the OLAF programme.